Nov. 30, 2020

The COVID-19 therapeutic developed and being tested by Sioux Falls-based SAB Biotherapeutics has received an additional $57.5 million from the federal government to continue its work.

SAB has used its novel immunotherapy platform to produce specifically targeted, high-potency, fully human polyclonal antibodies without the need for human serum. The therapeutic, SAB-185, is being tested in an ongoing phase 1 trial in healthy volunteers and an ongoing Phase 1b trial in patients with mild or moderate COVID-19, including at Sanford Health.

As part of Operation Warp Speed, multiple government entities have awarded SAB $57.5 million to expand its scope for its DiversitAB Rapid Response Antibody Program contract for the manufacturing of SAB-185. Those involved include the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, or BARDA, which part of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Defense Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense.

“We are pleased to be awarded this additional contract scope, which we believe is a reflection of the compelling science that supports SAB-185’s potential in COVID-19, as well as the urgent need for treatment options amidst the global pandemic. Previous data has indicated that this human polyclonal antibody therapeutic has potent neutralizing activity against SARS-CoV-2, potentially driving more available doses, giving us the confidence to continue to progress our clinical development programs for SAB-185,”  Eddie Sullivan, co-founder, president and CEO of SAB Biotherapeutics, said in a statement.

“This manufacturing agreement with BARDA and the Department of Defense supports our vision of bringing a novel, first-of-its-kind human polyclonal antibody therapeutic candidate for COVID-19 to patients, and I am proud of the work by our team and appreciate the continued support from BARDA and JPEO as we continue to rapidly advance SAB-185.”

SAB filed its Investigational New Drug application and produced the initial clinical doses in just 98 days from program initiation. The novel therapeutic has shown neutralization of both the Munich and Washington strains of mutated virus in preclinical studies. Preclinical data has also demonstrated SAB-185 to be significantly more potent than human-derived convalescent plasma.